Ben “BitBoy” Armstrong has been arrested three times since September 2023: once in Gwinnett County, Georgia, on loitering and simple assault charges after a live-streamed confrontation at a former partner’s home; again in Volusia County, Florida, in March 2025 on a fugitive-from-justice warrant tied to Georgia felony charges of threatening a judge; and a third time in Cherokee County, Georgia, in June 2025 on six counts of harassing phone calls.1TheStreet. Crypto Influencer BitBoy Arrested Reports Say2Daily Report Online. Crypto Influencer Arrested Over Threatening Emails Sent to Georgia Judge3DL News. Ben BitBoy Armstrong Arrested in Georgia Harassment Charges Alongside the criminal cases, the crypto influencer is now saddled with a $2.8 million defamation judgment won by “Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary and remains a defendant in class actions tied to Binance and FTX.
September 2023: The Live-Streamed Confrontation in Gwinnett County
Armstrong was arrested on September 25, 2023, after showing up at the home of former business partner Carlos Diaz and live-streaming the encounter on social media. He said he was there to demand the return of a Lamborghini he claimed Diaz had stolen; Hit Network, the company that had removed him from the BitBoy Crypto channel weeks earlier, said the vehicle had been recovered to “recoup funds” it alleged Armstrong had taken.1TheStreet. Crypto Influencer BitBoy Arrested Reports Say
Officers charged him with loitering/prowling and simple assault by placing another in fear. Police reported finding a firearm and illegal drugs in his vehicle.4TradingView. Ben BitBoy Armstrong Lands in Jail for Allegedly Sending Threatening Emails to a Judge Armstrong spent about eight hours in jail before posting a $2,600 bond.5Fortune. Ben BitBoy Armstrong Arrested Loitering Outside Former Business Partners House
March 2025: Fugitive Warrant Over Emails to a Georgia Judge
On the evening of March 25, 2025, Armstrong was arrested in Volusia County, Florida, on a fugitive-from-justice warrant and held without bond.6Volusia County Government. Inmate Details – Benjamin Armstrong The underlying charges were in Georgia: he was accused of sending threatening emails to Judge Kimberly A. Childs of the Cobb County Superior Court while representing himself in civil litigation.2Daily Report Online. Crypto Influencer Arrested Over Threatening Emails Sent to Georgia Judge He had publicly acknowledged five days earlier, on March 20, that a warrant had been issued.7FXStreet. Crypto Influencer Ben BitBoy Armstrong Arrested in Florida
The Georgia case carries two felony counts. Each count carries a potential sentence of five to ten years in prison.8The Block. Kevin OLeary Wins 2.8 Million Defamation Judgment Against Crypto Influencer Ben BitBoy Armstrong These are the most serious charges Armstrong currently faces.
June 2025: Six Counts of Harassing Phone Calls
Three months later, on June 27, 2025, Armstrong was arrested in Cherokee County, Georgia, on six counts of harassing phone calls.3DL News. Ben BitBoy Armstrong Arrested in Georgia Harassment Charges The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office did not release details about who the calls were directed at or what was said. He posted bond and was released the following day.9Crypto Briefing. BitBoy Legal Troubles Armstrong Arrest
The $2.8 Million Kevin O’Leary Defamation Judgment
In March 2025, Armstrong posted on X calling “Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary a “murderer” who “paid millions” to cover up his involvement in a 2019 boating accident that killed two people. He also posted O’Leary’s private cell phone number and urged followers to “call a real life murderer.” O’Leary was never charged in connection with the accident, and his wife, Linda O’Leary, was exonerated at trial.10Bloomberg Law. Kevin OLeary Wins 2.8 Million in Influencer Defamation Lawsuit
O’Leary sued for defamation in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Armstrong was served on March 28, 2025, but did not file a substantive response. On February 13, 2026, Judge Beth Bloom entered a $2.8 million default judgment, made up of $78,000 in compensatory damages, $750,000 for emotional distress, and $2 million in punitive damages.11Reason. Mr Wonderful v BitBoy Crypto Shark Tanks Kevin OLeary Awarded 2.8M in Defamation Suit Armstrong moved in January 2026 to set the default aside, citing mental health issues. The court rejected the motion.10Bloomberg Law. Kevin OLeary Wins 2.8 Million in Influencer Defamation Lawsuit
Crypto Promotion Lawsuits and a CFTC Subpoena
Binance Class Action
A March 2023 class action filed in Miami federal court against Binance, its U.S. unit, and former CEO Changpeng Zhao was later expanded to include promoters. Armstrong and NBA player Jimmy Butler were accused of promoting Binance and soliciting customers in exchange for commissions while hyping tokens including BNB and BUSD. In August 2024, the two agreed to a $340,000 settlement, with Armstrong contributing $40,000 and Butler paying the remaining $300,000. Both denied wrongdoing.12Finance Magnates. NBA Star and YouTuber Settle Binance Class Action Lawsuit Paying 340K The settlement was submitted for preliminary approval before U.S. District Judge Roy Altman.13Miami Herald. NBA Star and YouTuber Settle Binance Class Action
FTX Class Action
Armstrong is a named defendant in a separate $1 billion class action alleging he promoted the sale of unregistered securities at FTX, the exchange that collapsed in late 2022. Court filings stated Armstrong had praised FTX and its utility token, FTT, and claimed to hold a “half million dollar stake” in it. His conduct toward lead plaintiffs’ attorney Adam Moskowitz of the Moskowitz Law Firm became a secondary issue: Armstrong allegedly directed profanity-laden emails and social media attacks at the lawyer and threatened to have his legal license “taken.” A judge ordered him to appear in person to answer for the alleged harassment; Armstrong said he planned to skip the hearing to attend a “BitBoy-branded crypto cruise,” raising the prospect of contempt sanctions.14The Block. Crypto Influencer FTX Lawsuit In April 2023, a judge separately barred Armstrong from making threats on Twitter against Moskowitz.15The Block. BitBoy Crypto Says Goodbye to Ben Armstrong One of Armstrong’s followers allegedly went on to threaten to shoot the lawyer and his family.2Daily Report Online. Crypto Influencer Arrested Over Threatening Emails Sent to Georgia Judge
CFTC Investigation
On July 16, 2024, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission issued a subpoena to Hit Network as part of an investigation into “persons engaged in fraud with respect to digital currencies.” The subpoena sought information on trading activity and digital wallets connected to 15 tokens, including the memecoin BEN. Most of the tokens had been featured in YouTube videos in which Armstrong recommended them as investments.16The Block. CFTC Subpoenas Ben BitBoy Armstrongs Former Company in Fraud Investigation No public enforcement action has followed.
Where Things Stand
As of mid-2026, Armstrong faces two Georgia felony counts related to the emails sent to Judge Childs, each carrying five to ten years in prison, plus the six counts of harassing phone calls from the June 2025 Cherokee County arrest.8The Block. Kevin OLeary Wins 2.8 Million Defamation Judgment Against Crypto Influencer Ben BitBoy Armstrong He is out on bond. The $2.8 million O’Leary judgment stands after the court denied his motion to vacate it. The CFTC fraud investigation into tokens he promoted remains open. No public resolutions have been reported on the most serious criminal charges.
Armstrong’s finances have collapsed alongside the legal exposure. On-chain analysis in early 2024 put his crypto holdings at roughly $130,000, down from a peak wallet value of about $7.08 million in February 2022. In January 2024, he announced he was halting his daily show, citing “financial issues” and legal bills of roughly $100,000 per month, and solicited donations from fans, receiving over $90,000 in Ethereum and more than $91,000 in Bitcoin.17Arkham Intelligence. BitBoy Crypto Net Worth Armstrong has described himself publicly as going through “a midlife crisis, a spiritual crisis,” and said in early 2024, “We’re barely making it out here, guys.”18New York Post. BitBoy Claims Spiritual Crisis Amid Legal Financial Struggles